helms



May 28, 1929. w. c. HELMS HOT AIR FIREBACK '1V/UAM .HEL/w, BY l @L t MLA/VWL,

ATTORNEY.

1 R m m m N S I t e nv h s 2 e 2 Ov 1 w. n M w F n M z a n n IEAL E@ 4 H w H a May 28, 1929. w. c. HELMs HOT AIR FIREBACK Filed May 15, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. ELN/5,

WML/AM 6. H BY @M A TTORNE Y.

. Patented May 2s, 1929.

oNr-irEbsTATES- 1,714,955 PATENT orifice. f

WILLIAM C. HELMS, OF LINCOLNTON, NORTH CAROLINA.

HOT-A1B FI'REBACK.

vApplicatimi filed` May 15,

My invention relates to hot air fire backs,

for use in open fire places.

In accordance vwith my invention, I provide la hot air fire back which may be in` 5 stalled in the ordinary open fire place of a chimney, without materially altering the chimney orroom. The fire back embodies a shell or casing having means for introducing cold air into the lower portion thereof from the room anddischarging .theheated air from the upperV portion ofthe same into the room. The front wall of the casing is .equipped with a plurality of vertically arranged pockets, the bot-tom walls of, which are preferablyV vertically inclined, andV serve to deiiect the heat upwardlyand outwardly into the room. A grate is arranged adjacent to the front of the vertical pockets for holding the fuel, such as coal, wood or the like. 2o Arranged above the vertical pockets are a plurality of pockets, which may be vertically or horizont-ally arranged. In'thepreferred embodiment of the/invention, the v*upper pockets are vertically arranged,A and each pocket is divided into a plurality of cells. by means of preferably inclined partitions. The heated gases or products of cumbulstion passing from the lower pockets, travel into the upper pockets or cells thereof,-and circulate therein,.a'nd finally discharge through tubes or fiues arranged near the top of the upper pockets.V By virtue of the construe' tion and arrangement of the several parts of the apparatus, the maximum heating area is provided,` and the maximum heat exchange effected between the products of combustion and the air. The lower' pockets are preferably' carried upon' a removable frame, whereby they may be removed Aas a unit so that new pockets may be substitut-ed Vin the event that the lower pockets should b urn out. The device is neat and attractive in appearance and eflicient in', operation.

In the accompanying drawings, and in which like numerals 'are'employed to desig-l naterlike parts throughout the same, n

Figure 1 is a front elevation ofa hot air fire back embodying my invention,

Figurev 2 is a transverse vertical section taken on line 2-2 of Figure 1,

Figure 3 is a horizontal section taken on lineB-S of Figure 1, i y

Figure 4; is asimilar view taken online or Figure a a detailed eievatian oit 192,8. Serial No. 277,890.

one end of the grate Vshowing theattaching means therefor,

Figure 5 is a front elevation of a fire back embodying a modification of theinvention, anc, .v

Figure y6 is a. central vertical section through vthe same. i

In the drawings, vwherein for the purpose of illustration, is shown a preferred embodiment of my invention, the numeral 10 designates the open fire place of a'chimney, arranged within a room.r The iire back embodies a casing 11,l including side walls 12, connected at their lower ends by a bottom wall 13,` and at their upper ends by a top wally 14.' The casing includes a front wall 15. The walls are preferably cast integral, while the invention is not necessarily restricted to this construction, as the casing may be made of sheet iron or the like. The back of the casing is closed by a cover 16, preferably formed separate therefrom, and bolted or otherwise rigidly attached thereto, i for forming a 4gas-tight joint.

Y The front wall 15 is provided in its lower portion with a rectangular relatively large horizontal opening 17, the walls of which are preferably bent inwardly, providing a recess Yor socket 18. This rectangular socket i is adapted Vto receive a lrectangular. flange 18', the outer face of the frame being preferably flushl with the outer face of the front wall 15, these parts being held together by bolts 20y or the like. Preferably cast integral with the flange' 18', are relatively deep vertically arranged pockets21. The bottom walls of these pockets are preferably longitudinally curved, and produce'V upper and lower wall Vsections 22. and 23. The lower wall sect-ions 28 are inclined upwardly and rearwardly, while the upper wall sections 22 are inclined downwardly and rearwardly. The upper wall sections 22 serve toA refiect the heat outwardly into the room. The flange 18 is provided with U-shaped sockets v24, at'itsyertical edges,'and these sockets detachably receive downwardly turned hooks 25 carried by a grate 26. This gratev is arranged at an elevation wherebyits bottom is spaced a slightdistance above the lower ends of the pockets 21, whereby air for combustion, may readily pass to the fuel, and also into the pockets 21.

Preferably cast integral with the per eer-aaa are aan' amiral lll@ cal pockets` arranged inthe lower portion of the front wall, each pocket having an upextending through theupper portion of the casing and discharging to the exterior thereof, and means arranged forwardly of and near the lower pockets fork supporting fuel.

2. A hot air fire back for an open fire place, comprising a casing provided near its lower end with an air intake and near its upper end with an vair outlet, said lire back having a forward front wall, means providing a plurality of spaced vertical pockets arranged in the lower portion of the front a lower bottom sec-- wall, each pocket having tioninclined downwardly and an upper inclined upwardly, the upperseetion being adapted to reflect heat into the room, means providing spaced vertical pockets in the upper portion of the front wall, each upper pocket having a lower wall section inclined downwardly and an upper wall section inclined upwardly, a plurality ofspaced partitions arranged within each upper pocket and projecting forwardly beyond the same, a plurality of tubes extending into the upper ends of the upper pockets and passing through the upper portion ofthe'casing and extendingl to the exterior thereof, and fuel supporting means arranged near and in advance of the lower pockets.

' 3. A hot air fire back for an open fire place, comprising aV casing provided near its lower end with an air intake and near its upper end with an air outlet, said lire back having a forward front wall, means providing a plurality of spaced vertical Vpockets arranged in the lower portion of the front wall, each pocket being generally U-shaped, means vproviding spacedA vertical pockets in the upper portion of the front wall, each upper pocket being generally U-shaped, a plurality of spaced downwardly inclined partitions arranged in each upper pocket, a plurality of tubes leading into the upper ends of the upper pockets and passing through the upper portion of the casing and extending to the exterior thereof, and means for supporting fuel inproxiinity to the front of the lower pockets. l

4. A hot air fire back for an open fire place, comprising a rcasing provided near its lower end with an air intake and near its upperend with an air outlet, said casing having a forwardly inclined front wall,

means providing spaced vertical generally U-sliaped pockets in the lower portion of the front wall, means' providing spaced vertical generally U-shaped pockets in the upper portion of the front wall, the upper pockets being disposed above the lower pockets and arranged in advance thereof, spaced inclined partitions within each upper pocket for forming a plurality of cells, iiues leading into the upper ends of the upper pockets and passing through the upper portion of the casing, and fuel supporting means arranged near and in advance of the lower pockets.

5. A lhot air fire back for an open lire place, comprising a casing having an air intake near its lower end and an air'outlet near its upper end, said casing havinga front pockets in the lower portion of the fiont Y wall, means providing upper pockets in the upper portion of the front wall, the upper pockets extending rearwardly from the front wall across the major portion of the transverse area of the casing, said upper pockets having inclined upper and lower walls, tubes extending through the upper portion of the casing and receivinglproducts of `combustion from the pockets, and fuel supporting nieans'arranged near and in advance of the lower pockets.

6. A hot air lire back for an open fire place, comprising a casing provided with an air intake near its lower end and an air outlet near its upper end, said casing having a front wall provided in its lower portion with a relatively large opening, an integral Vunit for insertion within the relatively large opening including a frame and spaced vertical pockets carried thereby, said unit being removably mounted within the opening, and outlet means for the products of coinbustion traveling forwardly of the. front wall.

7. A liot air fire back for an open fire place, comprising a casing provided with an air intake near its lower end and anr air outlet near its upper end, said casing having a front wall provided in its lower portion with a relatively large opening, an integral unit removably mounted within the opening and including a flange and spaced inwardly projecting pockets, means providing pockets Vabovethe Vlower pocket and extending inwardly from the front wall, outlet means to receive products of combustion from the upper pockets, and fuel supporting means arranged near and in advance of the lower pockets.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

WILLIAM C. HELMS. 

